Hydrant



UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT FULLER, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

HYDRANT.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 29,872, dated September 4, 1860.

To all whom 'it may concern.'

Be it known that I, ALBERT FULLER, of

Cincinnati, Hamilton county, Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hydrants; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification.

The improvements relate to the class of hydrants which areprovided with a waste way for the escape of surplus water in order to avoid freezing and consist chiefly in an arrangement of main and waste way valves and passages whereby, at the option of the operator the surplus water may be either retained or automatically discharged at every closure of the main valve.

The improvements further consist in a peculiar combination of parts to permit the removal of the main part of the hydrant llwithout disturbance or undue exposure of its ase.

In the accompanying drawings Figures l, 2, and 3 are axial sections representing the different positions of the main and waste valves.

A is a water box communicating by nozzle a with the main. 'Iwo lugs B on the pedestals b which support box A receive keys C which enable the attachment of a tubular casing D. The pipe E of the hydrant is secured to the box A by a screw, so as to be easily inserted or withdrawn without disturbing the box A or casing D. Lugs e on the pipe E, fitting the concavity of the casing D guide the pipe to its place in the nozzle F. The passage of the pipe E is bounded below by a conical seat G for a conical yielding valve H at foot of a rod I operated by a crank J. Brackets K K projecting horizontally from the rod I are perforated to hold and guide the stem L of a conical gum valve M which closes the waste way N. The stem I is surmounted by a head c which enables the valve M to be lifted by the impingement of the bracket K upon a sufficient elevation of the rod I. A spiral spring O bearing below against a shoulder 0 upon the waste valve stem L, and above against a stationary bracket I), acts to close the waste valve M when not lifted from its seat.

It is essential to the 'effective operation of my device that the main valve I-I be elastic or adapted to yield so as to allow an upward motion of the rod I after the passage G is closed. The waste-way valve M on the other hand may or may not be yielding, but, in practice I prefer to form both it and the main valve of gum elastic or caoutchouc as set forth.

The casing D is devised to protect the whole hydrant from violence when in position and its base from undue exposure to dirt and violence when the upper part is removed..

Operation: Vhen the crank J is in its lowest position, as in Fig. l, the main valve H is open and the waste valve M is closed. When the crank J is at its highest position as in Fig. 2, the main valve H is closed, and the elevation of the rod I has opened the waste valve M. This is the suitable position of the valves for a closed hydrant during cold weather, but during all but extreme freezing weather, it is manifestly unnecessary to waste the surplus water, and hence the two valves H and M are so placed relatively to each other, that by placing` the crank at the position indicated in Fig 3, the waste valve is not opened by the closure of the main valve, the elasticity of the lat-ter permitting it to close equally well with a less or greater elevation of the rod I.

I do not claim broadly constructing a hydrant so that the upper part may be unscrewed from the base, leaving the latter undisturbed in the ground, neither do I claim constructing a hydrant with an external casing surrounding the conducting pipe, both these improvements being old and well known.

I cla-im as new and of my invention herein.

l. The yielding valve H and waste valve M when combined arranged and connected substantially as set forth so as to permit the waste valve to operate alternatingly with the main valve or remain inactive at the option of the operator.

2. The described combination of pipe or barrel E, screw nozzle F guides e and casing D the said parts being constructed arranged and operated as set forth so that the hydrant may be removed bodily by unscrewing from above, and again replaced without disturban'ce of the ground, and without undue exposure of its base.

In testimony of which invention, I hereunto set my hand.

ALBERT FULLER.

Witnesses Gno. H. KNIGHT, FRANCIS MILLWARD. 

